Instead of spreading contaminants with mops, there's a better way to clean restrooms. Kaivac's systems are proven to be up to 60 times more effective at cleaning than a mop - in less than half the time.Read MoreFind the system that's right for your restrooms:Find Your Kaivac System

Thoroughly removing contaminants from floors not only helps protect human health, but promotes floor safety as well. Kaivac's No-Touch Cleaning® and Crossover Cleaning™ systems have been certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) as providing 'High Traction.' Read MoreFind the system that's right for you:Find Your Kaivac System

Kaivac offers a number of portable multipurpose cleaning solutions for pet facilities. Their systems allow workers to thoroughly clean floors, kennels, examination rooms, grooming areas and any other hard surface 60 times better than mops - without having to touch contaminated and unpleasant soils and surfaces.Read MoreFind the system that's right for your facility:Find Your Kaivac System

Kaivac delivers turnkey hygienic cleaning and measurement systems that enable facility service providers to remove the maximum amount of bio-pollution and then prove it through rapid hygiene measurement technology.Read MoreFind the system that's right for you:Find Your Kaivac System

Kaivac offers green cleaning technologies and practices that are designed to thoroughly remove potentially harmful soils and other bio-pollutants in order to produce and maintain a truly healthy indoor environment.Read MoreFind the system that's right for you:Find Your Kaivac System

Making the most of your cleaning investment is more important now than ever. Simplify your life, increase efficiency and save on equipment costs by eliminating the need for additional equipment such as: auto scrubbers, wet vacuums, dry vacuums, carpet extractors, pressure washers, grout cleaning machines, janitor carts, and more. Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning systems accommodate a wide range of accessories, making them perfect for a variety of jobs and settings.Read MoreFind the system that's right for you:Find Your Kaivac System

Bad weather can be a building owner's nightmare. Rain, snow, salt, mud and more wreak havoc on floors and entryways creating a costly and dangerous situation. Just as bad, they leave a bad impression on customers and employeesRead MoreFind the system that's right for your floors:Find Your Kaivac System

Showing results for:

As dire as the recent hurricanes have been in Florida, Houston, and Puerto Rico, with cleanup operations now getting underway, this can be a lucrative opportunity for many cleaning contractors and those in the restoration industry. However, let’s not look at it necessarily as a money making opportunity, but more as a way of helping these people get their lives back in order.

Before jumping in, however, here are a few things you should know about cleaning up after a serious storm:

Structural integrity. From the outside, a storm- or flood-damaged building may look like it survived. But in reality, the building may be just about to come down. If there is any concern about the structural integrity of a building, have a qualified engineer or builder inspect it before attempting cleanup operations.

Ventilation. One of the most useful first steps you can take to clean up a building is to open all the windows. Try and get as much air circulation moving as possible. If there is electrical power, and it is safe to use electricity, install air movers and dehumidifiers. This can help reduce mold, fungi, and mildew growth, and decrease the number of airborne microorganisms in the air.

Electrical hazards. Very often, the building’s electricity will be off when beginning cleanup operations. But always assume it may come on at any time, which can be very dangerous. Turn off circuit breakers in work areas until the water has been removed and the facility has had a chance to dry out. To protect yourself, purchase water-detection equipment to help determine if areas are dry enough to work in. Electricity is carried through water.

Personal Protective Gear. Once cleanup operations begin, dangerous pathogens and microorganisms will cover just about everything. A splash of water off one of these surfaces and in your eyes can cause serious damage. Wear sealed goggles that cover your entire eye area, gloves, protective clothing, and respirators such as a paint respirator for protection.

Remove debris. One of first major undertakings will be to remove debris from the work area. This will help you better assess the damage in the building and create a safer work environment.

Furniture and floor coverings. Don’t even think about salvaging these items. After a major storm, it is very unlikely furniture, carpet and most hard surface floor coverings can be restored. They are simply too porous. Contaminated water will be trapped in these pores, increasing the chances that mold, mildew, and fungi will begin proliferating very quickly.

If the facility is structurally stable, once debris and furniture have been removed, and the facility has had a chance to dry out, actual cleanup operations can begin. A no-touch cleaning system is one of the most effective ways to cleanup a storm-ravaged building.

Our goal at this point is to remove soils from floors, walls, counters, fixtures, etc. Apply cleaning solution to these areas using the no-touch system and then power rinsing the same areas. This will remove most soils as well as many of the contaminants and pathogens on these surfaces. Use the no-touch system to vacuum up the moisture.

Once these steps are completed, we can decide if the same areas must be disinfected. Cleaning and disinfecting are normally a two-step process.

However, with the no-touch system, disinfecting may not be necessary. The system may have removed most contaminants on these surfaces, helping to eliminate this second step. Using an ATP rapid monitoring system can assist in determining if further disinfecting is necessary.

Throughout the storm cleanup process, safety has to be your top concern. In many cases, people survive the storm, but are injured or killed when the cleanup operations begin. Think Safety. Work Safely.

Robert Kravitz

Robert Kravitz is a former building service contractor, having owned, operated, and then sold three contract cleaning companies in Northern California.

He is the author of two books about the industry and continues to be a frequent writer for the industry.

Robert is now president of AlturaSolutions Communications, which provides communications and marketing services for organizations in the professional cleaning and building industries.

While customers probably never see or even think about them, an orderly, well-maintained warehouse fills a logistics manager’s heart with joy. Conversely, dirty, unkempt spaces can slow lines, harm workers and effect the bottom line. This makes

KaiBosh is a concentrated no-rinse Hospital Use disinfectant cleaner for Norovirus, Bird & Swine Flu and more, that disinfects and cleans in one labor saving step.
Like all Kaivac chemicals, KaiBosh is perfect for use with our wet vacuum systems. Too often, users simply apply common cleaning detergents or mop soaps when cleaning and then carelessly vacuum them up. This is like pouring standard dish soap into an automatic dish washer. The result is predictable - extreme foaming, filling the vacuum tank with useless suds and causing premature shut-off. Worse, the excess foam has the potential to damage the vacuum motor.
We are so confident in the performance and suitability of our chemicals that we extend our equipment warranty to customers who use them exclusively.
Now also available in 8 oz. preportioned packets.

When it comes to restrooms and other heavily soiled areas, nothing beats Spray-and-Vac cleaning. Kaivac’s No-Touch Cleaning systems are built for extreme soil removal, empowering workers to clean hygienically without touching contaminated surfaces. Plus, it cuts labor, chemical and equipment costs.
Achieving great, consistent results is easy with these patented systems. Simply apply automatically diluted cleaning solution to fixtures and floors in a low pressure fan spray, and then rinse surfaces and floors with always-fresh, clean water. The built-in power of the indoor pressure washer flushes soils out of grout lines and tight places that mops can’t reach. Finally, just vacuum the floor dry -- completely removing soils, moisture and contaminants from all surfaces, grout lines and crevices, leaving the floor virtually dry and soil free.
The Kaivac 1750 is perfect for areas large and small. It boasts a 17 gallon fresh water and a 17 gallon recovery tank. The system is powered by a 500 p.s.i. pump and a powerful 3-stage wet/dry vacuum.

The powerful OmniFlex Wet Vacuum is designed for heavy-duty commercial and industrial floor maintenance.
Used stand-alone as a traditional wet vac, it’s great for picking up spills, detail cleaning, job site cleanup, flooding, vehicle and equipment detailing, and more. Or, it can be easily mounted on Kaivac’s OmniFlex trolley-bucket where it becomes an integral component of a high-performance OmniFlex Dispense-and-Vac or Spray-and-Vac cleaning system.

Find a Distributor

Kai-leidoscope Newsletter

Connect

Kai-leidoscope Newsletter Subscription

First Name

Last Name

Company

Email

Website

I consent to receiving email communications

Your info will only be used and stored for the purposes of providing you with the periodic newsletter you’re requesting and may be accessed, reviewed, corrected, or deleted by submitting a request here.